Causes of Terrorism in Pakistan: A Marxist Perspective

The aim of this study is to provide an explanation of the causes of the religiouslymotivated terrorism in Pakistan. Besides the conundrum of what terrorism is? The research
studies on its causes are inconclusive or non-connective in nature. As a result, this study
adopts a ‘Marxist perspective’. In the light of the principle tool of investigation i.e. historical
materialism, the study identifies that the inherit fault-lines in the historical political discourse
of Pakistan has effectuated the interplay between elite class interest and radicalization. The
study identifies that the political economy of religiously-motivated terrorism in Pakistan has
a multiple pattern. The ruling class imposed anomalous ideology effectively corresponding to
its political and material interest. The lower strata with its material deprivation and under a
particular set of circumstances are inclined to be radicalized. The other pattern observed is
the latent radicalization of the educated class through indoctrination of a perverted politicoideological narrative primarily transmitted through the state educational apparatus. Besides
inducing extremist views, the public and deeni madaris educational systems in Pakistan are
also incompatible with the contemporary desideratum. Furthermore, the competition in an
ever-growing capitalist market tends to exacerbate this incompatibility producing frustration
and grievances in youth against the government. Thus the latent radicalization of the lower
and educated class can be easily exploited by any agency for perpetrating religiously
motivated terrorism.